326 MODERN SHEEP : BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



ABORTION. 



When a ewe is about to abort she appears dull, stupid and 

 listless, IOSQS her appetite and is wont to isolate herself from her 

 companions. There are numerous causes for abortion, prominent 

 among which may be enumerated crowding through narrow door- 

 ways, being/thrown" for the purpose of having their feet attended 

 to and eating of frozen rations such as rape, turnips, cabbage, kale, 

 e!c. Great losses have been chronicled through abortion being 

 brought on from the effects of overdoses of salt. As soon as a ewe 

 shows symptoms of aborting she should be relieved of the dead 

 lamb without delay; this is necessary to avoid blood poisoning. 

 When performing this operation the operator should be careful 

 that his hands are free from wounds, as more than one good shep- 

 herd has lost his life through carelessness in such matters. In 

 any and all cases it would be well, as a precaution, to lubricate the 

 hands with an antiseptic agent such as carbolized oil or carbolic 

 soap. When removing a dead lamb from a ewe the patient should 

 be placed on her back, as when placed in this position the work is 

 more easily performed. The task of removing the dead laiab is 

 usually slow and tedious, therefore it becomes necessary for the 

 comfort of the ewe to change her position occasionally. No un- 

 due strain should be brought to bear upon the ewe during her de- 

 liverance and the shepherd should not pull only in sympathy with 

 her straining. Sometimes it is found almost impossible to re- 

 move the lamb without first dissecting it. In no case is it so easy 

 to remove a dead lamb as it is a live one. Sometimes abortion 

 'appears in the flock in epidemic form, but this is more often due 

 to errors in feeding than to any contagious disorders. It is ad- 

 visable to remove all aborting animals from the flock and the 

 dead foetus should be destroyed by fire. The ewe should receive 

 an injection of warm solution of carbolic acid twice a day for 

 several days after the lamb has been taken from her. Care should 

 be exercised that the placenta be removed from her or the chances 

 are she will succumb to blood poisoning. 



DERANGEMENT OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 



One of the most serious troubles that rams are liable to fall 

 victim to is a stoppage of their water. Among other causes of 

 this trouble is over-feeding of rations of a nitrogenous nature, 

 such as peas, corn, etc. Another promoter of this trouble is the 

 mangel, the sugar from which forms into crystals and lodges in 

 certain sections of the urinary organs, with the result that a stop- 

 page follows. A ram attacked with this trouble is a most pitiable 

 object and one that suffers the most intense pain. Symptoms of 

 "stoppage of the bladder," as it is generally called, is a positive re- 



